New Member Booklet 2017 What? How? Where? Who? How Much? Why? Orlando Rowing Club 2200 Lee Road Orlando, FL 32810 Mailing Address: Orlando Rowing Club P. O. Box 547802 Orlando, FL 32854 ORLANDO ROWING CLUB http://www.orlandorowingclub.com Revision: Sept. 2017
Contact Information ORC Officers President Roseann Latta president@orlandorowingclub.com V. President Denise Danenberg vicepresident@orlandorowingclub.com Treasurer Wendy Davis treasurer@orlandorowingclub.com Secretary David Kuehler secretary@orlandorowingclub.com Committee Chairpersons Dragon Boat Andrea Eliscu dragonboat@orlandorowingclub.com Equipment Harry Robinson equipment@orlandorowingclub.com Facilities Steve Divito facilities@orlandorowingclub.com Membership Jan French membership@orlandorowingclub.com Regatta David Kuehler regatta@orlandorowingclub.com Rowing Dev Amy Raggi programs@orlandorowingclub.com Sculling sculling@orlandorowingclub.com Sweep sweep@orlandorowingclub.com Rowing Coaches Denise Danenberg Geromino Fernandez Laura Riekki Mike Vertullo Oto Alvarez What is Orlando Rowing Club? (ORC) ORC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes the sport off rowing and paddling in Central Florida. Founded in 1968, it offers opportunities in sculling (2 oars per rower), sweep rowing (1 oar per rower), and dragon boat paddling. Boathouse location: Lake Fairview Park, just off Lee Rd. & US 441. 2200 Lee RD, Orlando Fl 32810 Mailing address: Orlando Rowing Club, P.O. Box 547802, Orlando, FL 32854. Club website: http://www.orlandorowingclub.com Check us out on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/orlandorowingclub ORC offers opportunities in recreational and competitive rowing at all levels. Learn to Row and Learn to Scull classes are offered several times a year, and private lessons are also available. To learn more about lessons, please email: programs@orlandorowingclub.com Dragon boat paddling opportunities are available too, and information is found at http://www.orlandorowingclub.com -- click on Dragon Boat in the main menu. TEN REASONS TO ROW New friendships Stress relief Weight loss Fitness Low impact Cross training Strength building Coordination improvement Team building Fun 8 1
How Does One Become a Member of ORC? Since most members use club equipment, which is expensive and requires a knowledge of proper and safe handling of the boats, oars, etc., you will need to have sufficient skills in rowing to be a member and use the equipment. There are two ways to become a member of ORC, depending on whether or not you have rowing experience: Have you ever rowed before? NO: You can learn proper boat and other equipment handling either through the Learn to Row or Learn to Scull classes taught periodically throughout the year, or by taking private sculling lessons offered at the club. For Sweep or Sculling Learn to Row programs and private lessons, contact us at programs@orlandorowingclub.com. Rowing class information is also given on our website: http://orlandorowingclub.com. For private sculling lessons contact the sculling director at sculling@orlandorowingclub.com. YES: Sculling You will need to take a check-out lesson to demonstrate that you can handle the shell and other equipment in a safe and proper manner. Contact the boathouse director boathousedirector@orlandorowingclub.com or sculling director sculling@orlandorowingclub.com. Sweep rowing To arrange placement in a sweep boat, contact us at programs@orlandorowingclub.com. Most sweep rowers will begin at the novice or regional level until skills and goals are assessed. Exceptions may be made, as appropriate, by the coach. In either case, you will be required to complete an ORC membership application plus a waiver including local emergency contact information, and indicating your ability to swim. These forms are found on the ORC website http://orlandorowingclub.com/forms-documents/. At this point, you enter a grace period during which you may use club equipment and facilities for two consecutive weeks. You will not be permitted to vote, hold office or compete for ORC during this period. After that, you will need to pay your membership dues to continue to use the equipment and boathouse. Are There Any Other Activities At ORC? Yes, ORC has opportunities for other things you can do to get fully involved with the club, the main benefit of which is friendship and fun. 2 7 The Dragon Boat Club at ORC is popular and has practice several times a week to prepare for the DB festivals that take place in and out of Florida. There are 2 major parties each year, a summer cook-out and a holiday party. The club organizes and sponsors the Florida Masters Regatta each year on Lake Fairview, held late spring or early summer. There are several active committees on which you can serve. Among them are the Equipment committee, Membership & Social, Facilities, Rowing development, Regatta, and Executive board. All members in good standing are eligible to run for a club office or executive committee, serve on a committee, or help with the Regatta or parties. Informal social events are planned several times a year for special events or held for no reason at all except to have fun! ORC is active in supporting local cancer treatment and research through funds raised at the Florida Masters Regatta. The club sponsors dragon boat racing to support breast cancer research. At least once a year a facilities day is held at the boathouse to spruce up the building, do repairs, and clean up the grounds. ORC participates in National Rowing Day and holds an open house where we supervise free community rowing. ERG (rowing machine) group sessions are held at the boathouse once a week for fitness. Members can use the machines anytime.
How Does a Sculler Reserve a Shell? Once you have submitted an application form, paid your dues you can then easily access the reservation system on the club s website to reserve a club boat. You will find it under Members and can reserve once you login with the password you created. A sculler may reserve a boat no more than 3 sessions a week and may reserve a boat a week in advance. What Are The Non-Negotiables For Scullers? Always use the reservations system Always sign in and out in the logbook at the front desk Keep your membership dues paid up to date. Handle the club equipment carefully, treating it as if it were your own. Always rinse off boat but most important clean slides with the boathouse clothes provided. What If I Have Other Questions? Detailed information about membership can be found on the ORC website at http://orlandorowingclub.com/faqs-resources/ This may also be accessed on the ORC website under Join Become a Member. You also can email any questions to membership@orlandorowingclub.com. What Aare The Membership Cost At ORC? There are 3 classes of membership at ORC: (*Dragon boat membership is different and discussed on website) Individual membership -- $460 per year (dues amount as of 2012) Family membership -- $700 per year (dues amount as of 2012) Summer College membership --$150 for 90 days New members must first create an account and pay their dues online by either (1) annual, (2) biannual, (3) quarterly or (4) monthly contract with a 12 month commitment via AutoPay. Boat rental space should be paid annually. Members in a coached team must pay using monthly PayPal. Are There Any Other Costs? 1. All new members are assessed a one-time fee of $100 per individual, or $200 per family, which goes toward the purchase and upkeep of Club boats, oars, launches, etc. This $100 fee should be included in your payment for membership. For people whose membership has lapsed for any reason, either for past members who wish to reinstate their membership, or for delinquency on dues payment, the $100 assessment will again apply. 2. Private boat storage: $100 yr. singles/doubles, $200 yr. for all others 3. Once a week $30.00, twice a week $50.00 and Best Value unlimited $65.00 4. Any private sculling lesson fees $50.00 How Do I Pay? To join as a new member, go to http://orlandorowingclub.com and click on Membership and then on SignPayRow for full information. Select the membership category that most fits your budget: annual dues, semiannual, quarterly or monthly (autopay only). There is also a $100.00 assessment fee for first the year only. Please fill out the waivers and membership application documents. If you are planning on sweep rowing please be aware of the coaching fees associated with this activity as well. There is also a dragon boat mailbox at the boathouse for dragon boat fees. 6 3
What Are The Options For Sweep Rowers? If you are in a Learn To Row class, the coach can help you get connected with other rowers in the club so you can row with a group on a regular basis. The Novice program provides athletes from the Learn to Sweep program the opportunity to continue to develop their rowing skills before joining the Competitive Rowing programs. Crews are set on a casual basis and may row in any combination of eights and fours. The program s primary focus is on technique development and having fun out on the water. Competitive Sweep Programs -- For fitness and race training, sweep rowers will want to join the competitive rowing program. The Locally Competitive sweep boat is a co-ed program focused on fitness, fun and participation at local races of each team s choosing. This program is suitable for anyone, including recent Novice graduates. There are 2 Local programs, one meeting several times a week in the mornings, and the other meeting in the evenings. The Regionally Competitive sweep program desires a higher level of fitness and works toward being able to medal at focus regattas, including the Head of the Hooch and US Rowing Southeast Regionals. Acceptance into this program is possible for first-year rowers, depending on rower skill level. The Women s Nationally Competitive sweep program is able to commit to four days a week of training, with the expectation of medaling or meeting specified times in national-level regattas such as the Head of the Charles and Masters Nationals. The Men s Competitive sweep program is for men of all ages. This group competes at both regional and national-level regattas, such as the Head of the Charles and Head of the Hooch. What Are The Non-Negotiables For Sweep Rowers? Be dependable. Be on time. Keep your membership dues and coaching fees paid up-to-date. Be willing to sub in other boats when asked. How Do I Open And Close The Boathouse? When you have paid your dues you can then obtain a front door key card, for a deposit of $15. Your key card will work to open the door as long as you are current on your dues and any other fees. When you enter the boathouse the door will automatically lock behind you. Do not prop open the door. Make sure if you are running out to the parking lot to grab something, you take your key so you are not locked out. If you are the last person to leave the boathouse check the logbook to see that there are no more ORC boats on the water and make sure there are no members on the lake side of the boathouse. Please be sure to complete all items on the checklist posted on the inside of the front door, including closing the bay doors and turning off the lights. When you exit the boathouse double-check to make sure the door is locked behind you. Are There Special Policies For Scullers? Yes, ORC has specific rowing policies for scullers dealing with how to store the shells, rowing direction around the lake, lighting on the boats, plus other important information. This information is given by any of our coaches in the LTS classes. If you are joining as an experienced rower without taking a LTS class, any sculling member of the club will give you full safety information. 4 5